handling conveyors & automated handling l
A guided vehicle automated trailer loading system from JBT Corporation (formerly FMC Technologies) delivers thirst-quenching refreshment for PepsiCo in Atlanta.
Delivering ROI T
he QTG business of PepsiCo was looking to boost productivity and operational efficiency in its Atlanta, GA facility. With both the
production and bottling processes already highly automated, QTG turned to finished product movement as an area where improvements could be made. An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) based automated trailer loading system project was selected to deliver the required return on investment (ROI).
The AGV systems includes 11 unmanned, laser guided, computer controlled vehicles and the SGV Manager host software which is fully integrated in the plant warehouse management system (WMS by Red Prairie). The AGV system picks up full pallets of finished goods from 10 stretch wrappers, and delivers them to the appropriate destination as defined by the WMS. The possible delivery points within the system include the following: • Directly on to standard, over-the- road, trailers. The system supports multiple pallet loading patterns depending on SKU.
• Onto bridge conveyors that transport pallets to a distribution centre located in an adjacent building.
• Into storage lanes as temporary storage for retrieval by AGVs when needed.
The 5,000lb capacity counterbalance AGVs are outfitted with a single/double fork attachment that allows each AGV to carry one or two adjacent pallets. The AGVs have proven to be very flexible because one vehicle design services all three of the tasks outlined above.
AGV navigation around the facility is by laser guidance. This method of
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guidance supports flexibility, because changes to the AGV paths can be made quickly and easily. The AGVs are battery powered and use an automatic battery swap system. When any AGV battery level is low, the AGV reports to an automatic exchange area. The depleted battery is removed and a fully charged battery is inserted to quickly get the AGV back into operation while the depleted battery re-charges. Automatic swapping of AGV batteries maximises the amount of time the AGVs are available to do work. Obstacle protection for the AGVs is provided by front, rear and side laser bumpers. These laser bumpers bring the AGV to a safe stop, before contacting any obstacle in the vehicle path.
To allow safe AGV access onto the trailer, there are three interlocks that must be met before the AGV can travel into the trailer. First, the dock plate
must be properly set and engaged. Second, a brief visual inspection of the trailer is conducted to make certain all debris has been removed and the trailer is suitable for transporting the product. And third, a light curtain is present to make sure that no personnel can be in the trailer following the visual inspection.
The SGV Manager software package coordinates efficient vehicle movement and shares information with external I/O on the conveyors and other plant software. The SGV Manager software is web based and can be accessed remotely to allow quick, easy access when monitoring system performance.
The automated trailer loading project has been a big success. It met the key return on investment targets that were established and is being rolled out to other QTG facilities. ●
www.jbtc-agv.com
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